Sara Lee Trust Spring/Summer 2012 newsletter

Spring/Summer 2012

The Sara Lee Trust: a hand to hold… an independent local charity providing complementary therapies, counselling and creative therapies to people in Hastings and Rother living through cancer and other serious illness; with support for their families and carers.

What our patients say…

Elizabeth Cornelius has been having reflexology with Emma and she writes: “…it makes me feel totally relaxed. It is a quiet restful time for me away from all the hospital appointments. Emma is such a caring and kind person” Another lady writes: “ I wanted to say thank you so much for my reflexology sessions over the past few weeks. Your sessions have been incredibly relaxing and I know your skills are in demand.

Gratefully yours ……………”

The Sara Lee Trust – what we do Our aim is to support patients through their illness. Complementary to medical care, the Sara Lee Trust offers time, meaningful touch, nourishment and support so that each person may live life as fully as possible, even with a life threatening diagnosis. Our service also extends to carers and families and we provide over 2,250 treatments each year.

G We provide complementary therapies to patients at our treatment rooms in St Leonards-on-Sea and Rye. G We employ a Community Therapist who visits those unable to attend our treatment rooms, in their own homes.

G The complementary therapies we currently provide include:- acupuncture, aromatherapy, relaxation, reflexology, shiatsu and visualisation.

G Creative arts therapy, sanctuary days and counselling are provided all year round.

G We also provide support for carers.

Message from the Chairman, Mrs Jenny Yeo MBE This is a year of celebration for our Country with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and here in St Leonards, St Michael’s Hospice are celebrating their Silver Jubilee. We at The Sara Lee Trust are pleased and proud to be part of this great institution and join with them to extend our services to all parts of Hastings and Rother.

In 2011–12, we have given 425 treatments to Hospice inpatients; 88 treatments have been provided to people in their own homes referred by the Hospice at Home team and 456 treatments have been given to people attending the Hospice Day Therapy. These figures do not include the counselling, complementary therapy and creative therapy we offer for non hospice patients and their carers. At Rye, we offer treatments to inpatients at the Rye, Winchelsea and District Memorial Hospital

and also use our therapy room (based within the hospital) to offer treatments to people from the surrounding area, and provide home visits to those unable to attend our therapy room.

It is always an uphill struggle to raise the necessary funds to keep all these services up and running and this year with the mounting costs of petrol and postage, to name but a few, we have an even harder task for Maria, our Fundraising Manager and our marvellous fundraising volunteers – so please support us both at our events and our shop, and if you have any great ideas please do contact us on 01424 456608.

We know that we make a difference to those suffering a life limiting illness and I and the Trustees extend our grateful thanks to you all. We must make this special year, extra special for The Sara Lee Trust and St Michael’s Hospice.

Jenny

How our support works The Trust provides more than just complementary therapies. There are also monthly Sanctuary Days, weekly Natural Rhythms meetings and counselling offered to our patients, and we hope that this gives people a choice in the support they feel they would like to take up. Chris Farrell was referred to the Trust by his Macmillan Nurse. Chris came along to the Natural Rhythms group at

Powdermill Woods as a withdrawn and reluctant attendee. The gentleman that has recently decided he can now let go of our support is a very different person who has made a personal journey with many ups and downs. Over the last four years Chris has also attended some of the Sanctuary Days. He has kindly allowed us to publish this letter which he recently sent to Jeremy and Sally Lee. Read Chris’s letter overleaf…

Can we help you? – our referral procedure: Referrals must be made via a health care professional – e.g. GP, Macmillan nurse, district nurse, consultant, physiotherapist or other health professional.

For further information please contact Sarah Geall on 01424 456608

To support our work and donate online, please visit www.justgiving.com/sltf

2 What our patients say…

Dear Sally and Jeremy It is now 5 years since the operation to remove my lung and for the last 4½ years I have been involved with the Sara Lee Trust.

When I was first told about the meetings (Natural Rhythms) at The Yurt I was very sceptical and was not sure that I wanted in my words “to sit with a lot of ill people “ but the support I received was immeasurable, not just for me but my wife as well. They

were very dark days and I am very thankful that I have come through unlike many of the others in the tight knit little group that I found myself part of. Five years on I find myself with a new kind of life and I now feel I can let go of the support of the Sara Lee Trust. We will forever be grateful to you both and the team.

Chris

Message from the Vice Chairman, Mr Michael Lear

A year of ups and downs We have ended this financial year with a loss of £7,754, which is less than we predicted (£9,971).

This is due to the expenditure being less than we budgeted for and also down to the good work that Maria and the fundraising team have put in by just exceeding their target for income.

However, this may appear to be good news, but I am afraid it isn’t. We have had 4 years now of either a very small profit or larger losses and thus, as a consequence, our reserves are depleting. This trend cannot be allowed to continue. Like all businesses and charities it’s very important to operate using income and not capital otherwise the capital runs out and the business/charity will go bust.

One light on the horizon is the increased activity of the Sara Lee Trading Arm, a limited company set up by the Trustees to trade as a business and hopefully make money for the Sara Lee Trust. You may recall from previous newsletters that the charity lent the Trading Arm £16,000. This has now been reduced to just £3,500 which means the trading arm is trading at a profit and thus repaying its debt. We are hoping to pay the remainder of this debt off in the next 3-4 months and in addition commit to a further £500 per month donation to the Trust for the 2012/13 financial year. This, although only small, will help towards Maria’s up hill battle to balance the books and raise sufficient money to avoid cut backs yet again.

Heading up the staff / volunteers for the Trading Arm we have Ashley Askham our Shop Manager who is assisted by Sue O’Reilly the recently appointed Voluntary Assistant Manager of the Bexhill shop. Like Maria, Ashley has a team of hard working helpers who help run the shop, sort the stock and keep on top of the arduous ongoing challenge of managing all the stock in our warehouse. In addition to the shop, the Trading Arm has diverted its efforts into

House Clearances. Ashley with the help of Tim Desborough has now undertaken our first house clearance and we have 2–3 more in the pipeline. The idea behind this is to provide a bigger range of stock for the shop, as most donations are clothes and small items. We identified the need for larger furniture for the shop and household items. We have also taken on a second warehouse from where we will sell the house clearance furniture and whilst it is early days, we have started making sales already.

“I am quietly confident that the Trading Arm will be able to increase its monthly donations once the loan has been paid off and thus head off any need for cut backs in six months time.”

So whilst the figures look gloomy, on a positive note we have some hope. Maria has agreed her budget for 2012/13 and I am pleased to say we are hoping for £119,393, which is around £5,000 up on last year.

However, with the extra work that our new Business Plan has implemented, all for the good, we have a predicted expenditure for 2012/13 of £140,865. A predicted loss therefore for the year of £21,472 (£10,736 in six months). Clearly whilst these figures are agreed, they are not at all favourable or sustainable. We have no wish to make further cut backs, but are in desperate need of a legacy or small miracle. Often Maria is able to exceed her targets and we are historically lower than our predicted budget for expenses. Added to this I am quietly confident that the Trading Arm will be able to increase its monthly donations once the loan has been paid off and thus head off any need for cut backs in six months time.

Liz has continued with her excellent and efficient management of the office and all the figures, book keeping and administration remain in safe hands. Up until recently she was

also maintaining the books for the trading arm.

This has now been taken over by Bob Hodgson (Linda’s husband) on a voluntary basis to which we are all most grateful, particularly Liz, who was doing it in her spare time. During the past financial year we have been lucky to appoint another new trustee, Debbie Hargreaves a Chartered Accountant and partner of local firm Sellens French. She has already taken over the accounts for both the Charity and Trading Arm and I am sure will be a great asset for the charity.

During the financial year 2011/12, which ended on April 30th 2012, the Trading Arm turned over £43,422 and it is hoped that with the House clearances we will turn over £57,130 in 2012/13.

We have ambitions to expand further and hopefully open another shop, however we must not run before we can walk and it will therefore be necessary to pay off the rest of the debt first to the charity and to make sure the house clearance side of the business is running smoothly first.

I do however hope that we can start to look into another shop later in this financial year. A shop needs to be supported by a warehouse of stock and therefore our one shop carries this overhead. Thus by opening another shop, this cost is then halved.

In conclusion, we have a mixed message, income for the fundraising and the trading arm is looking positive, however our operating service expenses have jumped by over £20,000 this year. This is down to a number of factors: good management practices; health and safety training; the need for risk assessments and holiday and sickness cover being developed for both the office staff and the therapists and a general desire to maintain the very highest standards for the entire Sara Lee Trust going forward.

Finally I would like personally to thank all the staff and volunteers for all their hard work during the past year.

Michael

To support our work and donate online, please visit www.justgiving.com/sltf

A Day in the life of The Trust’s Community Therapist Susan Barnard has been the Community Therapist for the Trust for almost ten years. Prior to joining us, Susan was a social worker in London and has been an Aromatherapist for over twenty years.

Susan has given us an insight in to her role…

It’s Tuesday and the incredibly warm summer-like weather of March has given way to April monsoon like downpours.

I dig out the longest most waterproof coat I possess, gather together the notes of the people I will be visiting today, check I have plenty of clean towels, packed lunch, the essential mobile phone and load up the boot of my car.

I am already drenched! My first visit is in St Leonards, it’s a new referral and I read the notes in the car before setting off.

I am going to visit Penny who has MS, the referral tells me Penny’s condition has worsened and she is now house bound. I check my local map as I am ‘sat nav’ -less and prefer maps. The road is not listed, but after a couple of phone calls to Penny’s son I know where I am heading. The drive along the sea front is exciting; the sea is so whipped up foam is flying right across the road. I eventually find Penny’s flat on the 8th floor which I walked up to as the lift wasn’t working, I find out too late there is another lift in the building!

Her son lets me in… Penny is in bed and this is where she now spends most of her time. She is taken out once a week to the supermarket and told me she never thought she would look forward to the weekly shop so much. That comment touches me.

Susan with Penny

I complete the necessary paperwork, which entails asking lots of questions, during this process I usually find out quite a lot about people and how they have come to be referred to us. Penny is friendly and softly spoken, I find out Penny was a nurse and she has not had massage before. I explain to her that we offer blocks of six treatments and what a treatment consists

of. Between us we decide a foot massage would work well today. I blend the oils and start the massage including some visualisation to help Penny relax. She relaxes very quickly, I notice her breathing deepens, her body relaxes, and she closes her eyes and looks very peaceful. Apart from telling me it feels gorgeous and that the foot I have just massaged still feels like it is being touched Penny is totally quiet throughout her massage. Before I leave we book up her next appointment. Penny says” It felt lovely, my whole body relaxed, my mind switched off too allowing me to relax more deeply".

Back in the car I re-check my notes and head for Bexhill to meet Julie and her husband Alan, also for the first time. They have been referred to us by Alan's Macmillan Nurse.

I park in the drive of the wrong house and upset the dog of the house who barks at me for interrupting his snooze. Fortunately said dog's owners are not in and after realising my error I park in the correct drive. A smiling Julie lets me in. Julie is bright and bubbly, she tells me underneath the happy exterior she is totally stressed and exhausted mentally and physically and has not slept properly for two years.

Alan was diagnosed with a brain tumour two years ago and because his condition has worsened Julie has now given up work to look after him full time. Julie answers all the questions needed for her and Alan’s' Sara Lee consultation forms. Her role in caring for Alan has progressively become more physical and last week Julie hurt her left shoulder and is now in significant pain. We decide together an upper back and shoulder massage would be very worth doing today. I suggest a visit to a physiotherapist would be beneficial too. I use a blend of Roman Chamomile for its analgesic and anti inflammatory properties and Neroli for its calming effect on the emotions. When we are done we go upstairs so I can meet Alan who is in bed. Alan is a farmer and we talk about how this rain is very much needed for the country's farmers. I let Alan know why I am here and he likes the idea of a massage and asks for a leg and foot massage. Julie sits in the bedroom with us; during his massage Alan falls asleep. Which as any Aromatherapist will tell you, we take as a compliment. Julie and I plan dates for more

appointments and before I leave Julie has some very sweet words to say about my visit “My angel arrived – it’s amazing how stress is relieved by your hands”.

Last and certainly not least I charge off to Battle to visit Eileen. I first met Eileen in January when it was snowing, and we noted how it always seems to be raining when I come. This is Eileen's last treatment and she knows that she can be referred again if she feels further treatments would be beneficial.

Eileen awaiting her massage

Eileen likes to relax in a comfy chair, as you can see in the photo, for a leg and foot massage. Eileen’s feet and legs have been quite swollen at times, but today I note a vast improvement. Eileen is fun and chatty and I can't believe her age. She looks much younger than she is. I generally use essential oils of Chamomile and Rose for Eileen because they are gentle and calming. Like it is for many people, home visits are not just about the massage, but about what each therapist brings.

I know life is a struggle for Eileen in many ways and one thing she would love is to be able to drive again. I ask Eileen how she feels about my visits, she says “I find them relaxing and comforting, it’s really nice to have a visitor who I can talk to. I live on my own… horrible… 5 years and 4 months now… You are the image of someone on the telly!” While she is telling me this a man delivering her medication turns up, I let him in and he tells us he has had massage for a bad back, massage is better than drugs he says! We all agree. Eileen and I give each other a big hug goodbye.

After driving for a bit I find a nice spot to write up my notes and fill in record sheets for Liz in the office. I reflect on my day for a little while and acknowledge how everyone’s story has touched me and then I think I must book in a massage for myself, because I absolutely love it… the chemist’s delivery man is so right!

Susan

3

4 The Sara Lee Trust Shop

I have been sat here for a while wondering what I could say about our shop. It has lovely items, yes it has, it is clean and smells fresh, yes it does. However what I feel makes OUR shop special is the people who work in it! The level of care and support you get when visiting our shop, is second to none! The volunteers who give up their time are amazing people and this shows in every aspect of the service and products we provide.

Saying that, we still need volunteers, especially in the warehouse. This is where we sort and organise our stock, and we are in desperate need of some regular volunteers to help. The work is only as hard as you want to make it, we have trolleys so you will not need to carry heavy items around.

We ensure you go in pairs, so you have the support of another person and there are tea and coffee facilities in case you get thirsty. It is great fun, sorting through bags and finding little treasures.

Our shop is open from 9.30am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday. We have a range of ladies, men and children’s clothing. We have a great range of home wear, including curtains, cushions and rugs and also a wonderful selection of games, toys and puzzles. We also carry a full range of electrical items, which are all PAT tested. The shop has a vintage vibe to it and although we do not have a vintage section yet, it is on its way! We are even starting a NEW range, including scented candles made in vintage pots, they are beautiful and ideal for presents.

We are always in need of new stock and you are able to donate at the door, or, for heavier items we can collect. Please telephone the shop on 01424 532098.

And lastly thank you for all the donations and support we have received so far, without this we would not have a shop!

Ashley Askham, Shop Manager Sara Lee Trust Shop 9 Endwell Road, Bexhill On Sea TN40 1EA Tel: 01424 532098

Creative Arts therapies

Sanctuary Days

‘Natural Rhythms’

These days continue to offer people a safe space to meet others living with life threatening illnesses. People are able to benefit from sharing with others; from the quietness and beauty of nature and from having a chance to stop and really listen to what they feel they and their bodies need. There’s the chance to talk or to spend time alone to rest, walk, read, meditate, receive gentle body work – e.g. aromatherapy, reflexology, explore thoughts and feelings and be nourished and simply enjoy some time for you.

Natural Rhythms is a group run by The Sara Lee Trust. It meets weekly with short breaks to reflect the flow of the seasons.

We look at ancient and modern festivals, folk stories and myths that link into the calendar. As a group we mark the changes in the year and our own lives. We use a variety of beautiful settings in the local countryside but a favourite is the Yurt at Powdermill Wood. People who attend ‘Natural Rhythms’ are living through cancer and other serious illness, and this project allows them to share, reflect and discover aspects of themselves that may have been forgotten or just squashed by life.

Sanctuary Days take place monthly on a Thursday from 10am to 4pm.

A light vegetarian lunch, tea, coffee and herb tea are provided. There is a swimming pool and sauna available at The Oast House.

24 May: Cottage, Northiam 28 June: Cottage, Northiam

We meet on a Wednesday at Powdermill Woods, either in the cabin or the Yurt from 10.30am–12.30pm.

26 July: Cottage, Northiam August: No Sanctuary Day this month

Summer/Solstice June 6, 13, 20, 27 & July 4, 11, 18, 25

27 September: Oast House, Northiam

Autumn/Harvest/All Souls/Saints Sept 5, 12, 19, 26 & Oct 3, 10, 17, 24

22 November: Oast House, Northiam

Winter Solstice/Christmas/New Year Nov 28, Dec 5, 12,19 2013: Jan 9, 16, 23, 30

For more information or to book a place and arrange transport via our small team of dedicated volunteer drivers, please contact Sarah Geall on 01424 456608.

For more information or to book a place contact Sarah Geall on 01424 456608.

25 October: Oast House, Northiam 20 December: Oast House, Northiam

Volunteer drivers needed We are keen to build up a bank of volunteer drivers to help us by offering patients transport to Natural Rhythms and Sanctuary Days. This need not be every week, but could be if that would be of interest to you. If you have some time, enjoy driving, and like exploring the fantastic local countryside, then please give Sarah a call on 01424 456 608.

You need to be over 21, hold a clean current driving licence and have business use on your insurance (if you need to pay for this, the Trust will reimburse you).

Volunteering can help YOU, too!

Jokes from Gregory, 10 and Scott 7 (very nearly 8!)

“I am so grateful to the shop, for giving me the chance to learn new skills – I love working at the shop, there is a great atmosphere and a great team.”

Q: Which boy band is made from flour, butter, eggs and sugar?

A: ‘Cake That!

Sue

Q: Which hotel is green, wrinkly and rich in vitamin C? A: The Savoy Cabbage Hotel!

Fundraising News Asda Earlier this year, Asda at Battle Road allowed us to do a store collection and we raised £148.57. We would like to thank Asda for their support and all our volunteers who gave up their time to collect. Asda have also launched a new in store charity initiative whereby customers are given a token at the checkout and can put it in one of three nominated charity boxes. Currently, we are one of the charities nominated, so would be most grateful if next time you are shopping at Asda, that you put a token in The Sara Lee Trust box. You can also collect a nomination form and fill that in to nominate us to benefit from future rounds. The winning charity gets a £200 donation from Asda and the other two receive £50 each – so please help us if you can.

Bexhill Triathlon We are thrilled to be one of the charities benefitting from this event, taking place on 17 June. A multi-disciplined sporting event comprising a sea swim, a road cycle and a promenade run; the event will be a great family day out with a variety of stands, food, drink and entertainment on the seafront outside the De La Warr Pavilion. The Trust will be there, with a fundraising stall – so please come and visit us and support this great event. To find out how to get involved, visit www.bexhill-triathlon.co.uk

Do You Love Photography?

The Jenrick Group, a recruitment consultancy based in Surrey, run a charity photo competition which has raised thousands of pounds for charity over the last few years. The 12 winning photographs are featured in their annual corporate calendar with each winner receiving £100 to donate to a charity of their choice. To find out more, visit www.jenrick.co.uk/charity-photo-competition

5 It’s a Knockout & The Tuscany 3 Peaks Challenge Linda Hodgson, Trustee for The Sara Lee Trust, writes: “My son Tim, a local Paramedic, has been an avid fundraiser since he helped me when I was a local Macmillan Nurse fundraising for our own Hospice in Hastings and he then went on to help his Dad Bob set up the St Michael’s Hospice Charity Shops in the late 1980s. He has organised many events for a number of charities since then and in 2010 he organised the UK 3 Peaks Challenge raising £7,500 for St Michael’s Hospice.

We are of course very proud of what he does and this year I asked him if he could raise money for both St Michaels and the Sara Lee Trust. Since then it has gradually snowballed!

The main event is The Tuscany 3 Peaks Challenge – 27 miles and 18 hours of climbing! He now has a team of 22 including Paramedics, NHS Workers and friends attempting this gruelling challenge on 16–18 October this year. All money raised will be shared between the Sara Lee Trust and St Michael’s Hospice.

On 7 July we have been given space for our gazebo at the Hastings Beer Festival in Alexandra Park for the Family Afternoon part of the event. This will give us an opportunity not only to promote the event and raise money for it, but also to promote the work of the Sara Lee Trust to the community we serve.

On 14 July there will be an ‘It’s a Knockout Event’ at The Horntye Sports Complex, Bohemia Road in Hastings and all money

raised will go to the total for the main event. This is a great family event and for those of you who remember the television programme it is great fun to participate in and to watch.

On 15 September there will be an Italian Garden Party at our home in Barnfield Close, Hastings. The event starts from 4pm onwards and there will be authentic Italian food, wine and entertainment included in the ticket price. There will also be games, stalls and a raffle. We hope that those undertaking the Challenge will be there so we can wish them ‘buona fortuna’!”

Ferry Road Health Centre Patient Participation Group Halton Baptist Friday Church Friday Fellowship Hastings Old Town Carnival Association Hastings Rambling Association Hastings Quakers Llewelyn Lodge Marsham Older People’s Project Michael Lear Properties Mr Ken Duce Mrs A.Lacy-Tate Trust Mrs Joan Pearce Newman, Martin & Buchan LLP Outrageous Decadence Purple Tundra Limited

Rotary Club of St Leonards Rural Past Times Rye Medical Centre Rye, Winchelsea and District Memorial Hospital Sanofi Pasteur MSD Ltd St Mary the Virgin Church, Ninfield The Albert Hunt Trust The Brede Bell Ringing Choir The Isabel Blackman Foundation The Lisbeth Rausing Fund The Rotary Club of St Leonards The St Leonards Film Society The Ted Baker Trust Westfield WI

Tim and all those helping him hope to raise lots of money for two fantastic local charities helping patients and their families through an often difficult time in their lives. In order to do this they need your help in the following ways: G Sponsorship of the climbers and donations for the event – information at www.justgiving.com/timstuscany G Enter a team of 10 at a cost of £200, for the It’s a Knockout in July – you just need to enjoy having fun G Company sponsorship of the It’s a Knockout event G Buy a ticket for our Garden Party in September – £10 including food, wine & entertainment G Help on one of our garden stalls G Help in the gazebo at the Hastings Beer Festival or It’s a Knockout G Donate prizes… for the raffle tombola and bottle stall prizes and anything else we could sell at the different events If you can help in any way please email me at lindahodgson@btopenworld.com or telephone me on 01424 716232 or contact Tim on 07909 898880

Special thanks to…

The Trust receives no statutory funding and is completely reliant on public donations and our fundraising to provide the quality service our patients need. We would like to thank all the individuals, groups, companies and trusts who have supported us throughout the year. Sadly with limited space we are unable to list everyone individually but would like to pay special thanks to: 1066 Country Relay Fundraisers Andredsweald Lodge Battle Bonfire Society Bexhill College Art Department Carisbrooke Surgery Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society

6 Event News Benefit gig at The Waterfront Club Huge thanks to the fabulous Jiggery Pokery and The Lucky Ones, who both played for free (again!) at our Benefit Gig held at The Waterfront Club in Bexhill last November. It was a fantastic evening of music and dancing and we would like to thank Paul and Jackie Hamilton from the club so much, for their continued support of our work. A big thank you also to Dee Blake and Colin Chapman for all the hard work they put into making the event happen. The evening raised an incredible £2,173.61 for the Trust and we would like to thank you to everyone who came along.

Christmas Fair and Raffle We were thrilled by the turnout at our Christmas Fair in November which, with our grand raffle, raised an amazing £2,365.93.

Thank you to all the lovely stallholders who supported this event – we had a superb range of merchandise from jewellery, smoked foods, textiles and art, home baked goods, to Christmas cards and gifts. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who helped run our fundraising stalls; baked cakes or made soups and helped with all the set up and clearing up.

We couldn’t have done it without you all!

Thanks as always to St John’s Church for their continued support and to Father and Mrs Christmas, thank you so much for visiting us and bringing some wonderful Christmas cheer with you. I hope to see you all again on Saturday 24 November from 10.30am–3pm at St John’s Church, Pevensey Road, St Leonards-on-Sea. If you are able to make craft items that you would like to donate to us for sale at the Fair, or can bake, or donate items for raffle or tombola – then please call Maria on 01424 456 608. Also – if you are interested in taking a stall in return for a donation of 15% of your sales to the Trust, then please call or email – maria@saraleetrust.org.uk

Quiz and supper at The Ash Tree Inn, Ashburnham It was thinking caps to the ready at this event kindly organised by our Chairman, Jenny Yeo in February, with great support from Malcolm Baker and his team at The Ash Tree Inn. Huge thanks to quiz master Jan, for putting on a superb quiz, The White Family at Ashburnham for donating a marvellous raffle prize of a lamb for the freezer, and a big thank you to all the teams who took part. The evening raised £517.00 for the Trust which is absolutely wonderful.

Hastings Half Marathon We were pleased to have several runners taking part in the Hastings Half Marathon for us in March, and took delight in cheering them on. Our runners have raised over £2,000 for the Trust which is wonderful – however funds are still coming in, so we will update you in the next issue. In the meantime, we would like to say a very big thank you to Neil Bates, Serena Berrett, Frances and Robert Elworthy, Polly Hoad, Graeme Jones, The Norleys and all those who ran in costume to promote the ‘It’s A Knockout’ and Tuscany Three Peaks Challenge (see page 5) which is raising funds for both us and the Hospice.

If you would like to run for us in 2013, please contact Maria on 01424 456 608.

We will provide a running vest or t-shirt, advice on fundraising online and a very good cheering squad en route.

We would like to thank Perry Blizard so much for running the Hastings Half Marathon in 2hrs and 7 mins and for raising an incredible £1,094.83 for the Trust!

Perry is pictured above with his mother Carol. Carol says that her experience of The Sara Lee Trust has been very positive and the support she has received at Natural Rhythms and Sanctuary Days has helped her cope with her illness and its treatment.

Jamie Foster pictured – smiling! and his hard won medal – well done Jamie!

Flora London Marathon 22 April saw four brave runners pound the streets of London to take part in The Virgin London Marathon and raise funds for the Trust.

We were hoping to have nine runners, taking part this year – however, sadly five were injured and unable to take part, but all five hope to be able to run next year – so 2013 should be a fabulous London Marathon year for The Trust. We would like to thank our injured runners for having raised over £4,000 despite their injuries, funds which will be carried forward to their target for the run next year.

Sincere thanks therefore to Lisa Barrett, Michelle Black, Fred Bowring and Chris Lethem.

We would like to thank most wholeheartedly Jamie Foster, Michelle and Matthew Lewis and Matthew Neighbour for not only completing the run this year, but for raising a fantastic amount of money for the Trust. Between them, just under £5,300 has been raised – which is absolutely wonderful – however the money is still pouring in and we will update you in the next issue.

Matthew Neighbour

Jamie says… “Running in the London Marathon for the first time was an amazing experience and to be able to run on behalf of The Sara Lee Trust was a pleasure. I very much enjoyed this experience from fundraising to running and am very happy to have supported such a great charity by raising funds which go a long way in helping others”.

Matthew Neighbour (above), who over the past four years has raised an incredible £8,000 for the Trust, says “I have now run four marathons for the Sara Lee Trust as I think it’s such a fantastic event to be involved in and at the same time, raise money and awareness for such a wonderful cause. The support and atmosphere of the whole day makes all the training and hard worthwhile”.

We would like to thank all our runners – for their amazing commitment to our work.

Would you like to run The Virgin London Marathon in April 2013?

If you are fit and healthy, and able to commit to raising £1,750 for the Trust, then please call Maria on 01424 456 608 to register your interest, the Trust has five guaranteed places each year.

Update from Liz, our Office Manager Events others have organised for us: Friends in Song Huge thanks to Helen Bird MBE and everyone at ‘Friends Unlimited’ for putting on the ‘Friends in Song’ Concert last November which raised a wonderful £400 for the Trust.

Fashion Sale We would like to thank Dr & Mrs J.AnsonRhodes for organising a Fashion Sale at Highwoods Golf Club on our behalf last November. We were delighted that the event raised £215.

Taster Shiatsu Massages Huge thanks to Annie Cryar and Catherine Burnett for offering Shiatsu tasters in return for a donation to the Trust in January. Thanks also to The Wellington Centre for supporting the day which raised £135. Annie and Catherine would like to thank everyone who enjoyed their half hour treatment.

We would like to thank all of our standing order donors for their continued support over the last year.

Knowing that we have a regular income each month helps us budget ahead.

Many of you will know that over the years we have sold a variety of products, which have been a source of income for the Trust. However we have now decided to end this line of fundraising, as all future trading will take place from our Bexhill based shop. We would like to thank everybody who has supported the product sales. We would like to recognise Ethnie Moser and her team of volunteers, who over the years have taken the products to all sorts of events and Open Gardens, everybody’s contribution has been greatly appreciated.

We would also like to acknowledge Ann Fitzgerald whose displays at the reception retail outlet of St Michaels Hospice Coffee Shop, were truly eye catching. We would also like to thank Chris Jones, and St Michael’s Hospice for their support. So a huge ‘Thank You’ to you all for

your time, dedication and support. As an aside we will have a limited number of products available at the Christmas Fair as they do make lovely presents.

We would also like to thank Mrs Louis Rigby-Jones for her continued support of the Trust. Since the beginning of May 2011 she has raised a wonderful £209 for the Trust by offering manicures to friends, patients in St Michaels Hospice Day Therapy and Ward. We are sure that the people really are grateful to her for their lovely looking hands.

Finally, my New Year’s resolution is to lose some weight by the end of November. To give me extra motivation I am asking people to sponsor me.

So if you would like to help motivate me, and make a donation, please visit www.justgiving.com/ElizabethKnight0. If you are not a computer user, donations may be sent to the office, cheques should be made payable to the Sara Lee Trust. All your donations will be a real boost to get me going to the gym and achieving my target.

Dr Lee’s reflections on his journey as a doctor and why he referred people to the Sara Lee Trust by Sarah Geall, Therapy Services Manager I am often invited to make presentations to local groups. This is a great way to explain more fully about our services and how people can be referred. I am regularly asked about Dr Lee, Jeremy, who with his wife Sally, set up the Sara Lee Trust, in memory of their daughter Sara in 1996. People are interested in knowing Jeremy’s story, as he may have been their GP; was involved in their or a family member’s care or had referred them to the Sara Lee Trust. This regular interest got my dormant journalistic juices flowing, so I went to visit Jeremy and Sally to find out more about Dr Lee’s story…

Dr Lee regulary referred people to the Sara Lee Trust when he was Consultant in Palliative Medicine at The Conquest Hospital and Medical Director at the Hospice and said, “I refer patients to the Sara Lee Trust to enhance their quality of life so that they can live with cancer rather than wait to die from it”.

Jeremy trained at the Middlesex Hospital in 1956 and qualified in 1960, his first job as a House Man was at St Helier’s Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey. Jeremy and Sally had met by the time Jeremy qualified. A love of the theatre had brought them together and they

met as members of the Middlesex Dramatic Society – the play in question, was Sheridan’s The Rivals with Sally as the leading lady!

Jeremy’s love of aircrafts was indulged when he joined the RAF in 1961 for a three year commission which took him and the family to Devon and Aden, where Sara was born. By the end of his time he had been promoted, and left as a Squadron Leader. The family returned to Surrey, England where Jeremy commenced his training as a GP. One of my first questions was why medicine? Jeremy smiled his mischievous smile and said “the money”! But his follow up comment I feel really encapsulates Jeremy and the professional respect and love he engenders in those who have worked with him and were cared for by him, which included many Sara Lee Trust patients.

Jeremy talked and described palliative medicine as being a different type of medicine and how he came to appreciate the importance of more than prescribing tablets, treatments and interventions. “People are very interesting, I enjoy being able to take my time with people”.

To read more of Jeremy’s story, visit the website: www.saraleetrust.org

Stagecoach Collection Thank you to Avril Crawford and all the children from Stagecoach School for entertaining shoppers at Tesco in Hollington in December by performing a medley of Christmas Carols. They collected a fabulous £175.61 for the Trust.

St Patrick’s Evening Huge thanks to Michelle Black, her parents Scott and Teresa and Dave Buckley, for organising a fantastic St Patrick’s Day fundraiser which raised £1,210 for the Trust. Michelle had been planning the event to raise funds for her London Marathon run which she was going to undertake for the Trust in April. Sadly an injury prevented Michelle from taking part this year – but we are so grateful to her, her family and Dave, for going ahead with organising this wonderful event. Music was provided by the Leprechaun Band and the first raffle prize, a meal for two, was generously donated by Dean at Azur at The Marina Pavillion. Michelle would like to thank everyone who supported the event and the Trust, and is hoping to be able to run for us in next year’s marathon.

If you would be interested in Sarah coming to talk to your group about the work of the Trust, then please call 01424 456608.

Quiz at The Bo-Peep Thank you to Mark Jackson, Landlord; Charity Committee Member John Poole and everyone at the Bo Peep, for raising £450 for the Trust from their charity quiz night in January – it was a great night. Thank you to everyone who came along to the event.

The Sara Lee Trust Collecting Tins Do you know of a local shop, pub, restaurant, hairdresser, school or any local business that may be happy to have one of our collection boxes.

If so, please let us know on 01424 456608.

7

8 Funding The Sara Lee Trust receives no statutory funding and relies solely on fundraising and voluntary donations. This year we aim to provide over 2,250 treatments to patients and families through: Counselling – providing 9 hours per week to patients and family members.

Hands on Therapies – providing a minimum of 36 hours of therapy per week. This includes: acupuncture, aromatherapy, relaxation, reflexology, shiatsu and visualisation.

11 Sanctuary Days – we can support 5 or 8 people, depending on the venue used.

Natural Rhythms – our year round creative arts therapy project runs over 32 weeks, offering people the chance to meet others and share.

How much services cost: One hour’s therapy and essential oils

£35.00

A Natural Rhythms session for 8 people

£100.00

A Sanctuary Day for 8 patients

£665.00

How YOU can help US A regular gift allows us to plan for the future because we know, day in and day out, that we will have a steady income stream that we can rely on – and that is so important in the current economic climate. To make a regular donation to the Trust, please download a Standing Order Form from our website, and if you can Gift Aid it, we can claim an extra 20% from the Government.

What do supporters receive? As a way of keeping you up-to-date with the Trust you will receive our newsletter, twice a year.

Fundraise on our behalf: why not consider organising an event on our behalf – we have lots of ideas, or why not think up one of your own. We have a fundraising pack on our website:www.saraleetrust.org Choose US: if your company, school, sports club, group or association fundraisers for charity – why not ask them to choose the Sara Lee Trust – or why not have a jewellery collection?

Legacy: if you believe in the value of the work we do, consider remembering us in your will.

Donate: make a donation. If you are a UK tax payer and make your donation via gift aid, the charity can reclaim 20p for every £1 donated. Donations should be made payable to The Sara Lee Trust and posted to the address printed below. Alternatively you can make your donation online through: www.justgiving.com/sltf

Events Calendar May–November 2012 Our events list is constantly being added updated. To receive email updates, contact Maria on 01424 456608, or visit our website www.saraleetrust.org Saturday 9 June, 8pm

Outrageous Decadence Seaside Special

Saturday 18 August

Rye Show & Country Fayre We will be supporting this show, which raises funds for The Rye, Winchelsea and District Memorial Hospital, who support our treatment room in Rye. We will be running a bottle tombola – and would be grateful for any donations – from shampoo to champagne. You can leave bottles at St Michael’s Hospice reception if they are clearly labelled for The Sara Lee Trust.

Party night in aid of the Sara Lee Trust, with Bob Ents, knobbly knees contest, Friday 14 September, 7.30pm fashion show and synchronised swimmers!

Masonic Hall, St Leonards-on-Sea £10/£7 Barn Dance with The Catsfield Steamers www.outrageousdecadence.co.uk at Carters Corner Farm, Cowbeech BN27 4JA Sunday 17 June Thanks to Nigel and Heather Harper for Bexhill Lions Triathlon allowing us to host this event in their Visit our fundraising stall on the seafront wonderful barn. Please join us for an outside the De La Warr Pavilion. evening of fun and dancing. For more Saturday 7 July details, call Maria on 01424 456608.

Hastings Beer and Music Festival

Visit our stall raising funds and awareness of our work and promoting the Tuscany 3 Peaks Challenge (see page 5).

Saturday 14 July

It’s a Knockout at Horntye Park Kindly being organised by Tim Hodgson, to raise funds and awareness for the Tuscany 3 Peaks Challenge he is organising to raise funds for The Trust and St Michael’s Hospice.

A fun event with 8 Olympic themed games for teams of between 6 and 10 people.

A team costs £200. To find out more please contact Tim on 07909 898880.

Saturday 28 July, gates open at 5pm

Jazz in the Garden Butlers Farmhouse, Herstmonceux BN27 1QH Thanks to the generosity of Peter and Irene Willson, we are able to invite you to their beautiful NGS yellow book garden, to listen to the wonderful music provided by Peter and his band. Bring a picnic and enjoy the fabulous music in this stunning setting.

Tickets are £10, with children under 14 free.

To book, please call Maria on 01424 456608.

Saturday 15 September, 4pm

Pre-Tuscany Garden Party Barnfield Close, Hastings For more details please contact Linda Hodgson on 01424 716232 Friday 16 November

‘Strictly’ Come Dinner The Montgomerie Suite, Bannatyne Spa Hotel Save the date in your diary and dust off your dancing shoes for an evening of glitz, glamour and dancing – with the fabulous Dance Mavericks. Full details will be posted on our website as soon as they are confirmed – please visit www.saraleetrust.org or call Maria on 01424 456608.

Saturday 24 November, 10.30am–3pm

Christmas Fair for all the Family St John’s Church, Pevensey Road, St Leonards-on-Sea

If you have any comments on this newsletter; or have something you would like to see included – or you wish not to receive further copies, please contact Maria Gonet on 01424 456608 or email maria@saraleetrust.org.uk

The Sara Lee Trust 25 Upper Maze Hill, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 OLB

Tel: 01424 456608

www.saraleetrust.org

Registered charity number 1055048

To support our work and donate online, please visit www.justgiving.com/sltf